Shoestring-fastener.



PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907.

H. BEHRENS. SHOESTRING PASTENER. APPLICATION mum APB..12,1906.

lm/e 71%;." Hem y B671 rerzs shoe, directly above the uppermost set ofhooks used HENRY BEHRENS, OF OAKlDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SHOESTRING-EASTENER.

Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Au 13, .1907.

Application filed April 12, 1906. Serial No. 311,280.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY BEHRENS, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Oakdale', in the county ofAllegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inShoestring-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing. I

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in shoestring fasteners, and the invention has for its primary object toprovide a simple and inexpensive fastener for shoe laces, to which thelaces may be secured and thereby dispense with the tying of shoe lacesas heretofore. To this end, I have devised a fastener, which isplaced-upon each side of the upper of a in connection with a laced shoe.The fasteners are preferably riveted in the upper of the shoe and areformed with T-shaped heads around which the ends of the shoe lacesarewound or hitched, and firmly held until removed.

The detail construction entering into my inventionwill be'hereinaftermore fully described and claimed, and referring to'the drawingaccompanying this application, like numerals of reference designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views,.in which:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe equipped with my improvedfastener, I ig. 2 is a perspective view of my improved device, showingthe method which .is'

employed in securing the shoe-string thereto. Fig; 3

- is a detail view.

. at points near the upper of the shoe.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated a conventional form ofshoe 1', as having an upper 2, providedwith eyelets 3 and'hooks 4. Theshoe 1 is secured upon a, persons foot by a lace 5 which engages in theeyelets 3 and around the hooks 4, the ends 6; 6 of the laces terminatingtheir connection with the hooks My invention resides in providing theupper of the shoe 2 with two fasteners 7, 7, each fastener consisting ofa shank portion 8 and a curved T-shapedhead 9, the curvature of the headbeing such-asto provide undercut recesses therebelow, adjacent the pointof i juncture of the head and shank. The head is preferably of greaterwidth, in cross-section than the shank, thereby preventing, with theundercut recesses; the

loops of the lace from passing off of the arms while the lace is beingsecured. Thefastener is secured to the shoe upper in such position as toprovide a space between the outer surface of the upper and the lowestpoint of the arms in order that the lace or its loops can be readilyplaced over the ends of the arms. "The fasteners are preferablyconstructed of light and durable metal and are riveted or otherwisesecured within the upper 2 of the shoe. Whenthe shoe has been ,laced to.

- the point where it is desired to secure the lace, the end of thelatter is passed around the arms successively in the form of loops, thelatter-preferably crossing on the outer surface of the h'ead, thisoperation being continued until the end of the lace has almost beenreached, whereupon a loop-is formed -by grasping the lace adjacent itsend and passing the end beneath that portion of the lace on the opposingside' of the grasping point, I and then placing the loop so formed onthe arm and drawing the end taut.. This loop is similar to the otherspreviously placed on each of the arms during the preliminary operation,but prior to being placed in position, it is inverted. From this it willbe seen that a particular length of end of the lace is not essential. Ifof greater length than is absolutely necessary, the lace is carried overthe arms successively until approximately the proper length ofendremains, this being accomplished without releasing'the tension on thelace; hence the presence of loose-ends of objectionable length is :1. Alace or tie fastener of substantially T-shape and having itslaterally-extending arms curved outwardly and downwardly to provideundercut recesses on opposite sides of the shank, said shank beingadapted to be secured to a shoe upper with the ends of the arms spacedfrom the outer surface of the upper, whereby the lace may be loopedabout said arms successively ,and secured by inverting the last loopprior to its being placed on the arm, the undercut recesses receivingaplurality of successively-formedloops without liability of such loopsbeing'diseugaged during the lacefsecuring operation.

2. A lace or" tie fastener of substantially T-shape and 7 having itslaterally-extending arms curved outwardly and downwardly and or greaterwidth thau'the width of the.

shank adjacent thereto to provide undercut recesses on opposite sides ofthe shankfsaid shank being adaptedto be secured to a shoe upper with theends of the arms spaced from the outer surface of the upper, whereby thelace may be looped about said arms successively aid secured by inverting the last loop prior to its being placed on the arm, the undercutrecesses receiving a plurality of successivelyformed loopswithoutliability of such loops being disengaged during the lace-securingoperation. p In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence &two witnesses; HENRY Bun-suns.

Witnesses \VILLIAM W. STEWART,

WILLIAM Wru'rznn.

